This Sunday was The Stage Debut Awards 2022, which celebrates emerging talent in first-time performers and creatives.
This year’s ceremony was hosted by actor, writer and director Susan Wokoma, who you may recognise from comedy series like Crashing, Chewing Gum, Crazyhead and Cheaters, but who also has a long theatre resumé, including productions at the Royal Court, Bush Theatre, Almeida Theatre, National Theatre, and Donmar Warehouse. In 2017, she made her West End debut alongside Martin Freeman and Tamsin Greig in Olivier Award-winning Labour Of Love at the Noël Coward Theatre, the same year she was named as one of BAFTA’s 2017 Breakthrough Brits.
Find out the winners in full below:
Best performer in a play
Elisabeth Gunawan for Unforgettable Girl at Voila! Europe Theatre Festival, London and the Ensemble of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at the New Diorama and Royal Court, London, comprised of Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence.
Other nominees were:
Samuel Creasey for The Book Of Dust – La Belle Sauvage at Bridge Theatre, London
Kudzai Mangombe for Malindadzimu at Hampstead Theatre, London
Saba Shiraz for An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Tommy Sim’aan for Starcrossed at Wilton’s Music Hall, London
Joe Usher for Rock / Paper / Scissors at Sheffield Theatres
Michael Workeye for House Of Ife at the Bush Theatre, London
Dewi Wykes for Petula at National Theatre Wales and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
Best performer in a musical
Elijah Ferreira for Hedwig And The Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse
Other nominees were:
Hugh Coles for Back To The Future: The Musical at the Adelphi Theatre, London
Ben Joyce for Jersey Boys at Trafalgar Theatre, London
Bella Maclean for Spring Awakening at the Almeida, London
Joe Pitts for Spring Awakening at the Almeida, London
Best director
Monique Touko for Malindadzimu at Hampstead Theatre, London
Other nominees were:
Anthony Almeida for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at Curve, Leicester
Alice Fitzgerald for Purple Snowflakes And Titty Wanks at the Royal Court, London
Best designer
TK Hay (set and costume) for An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Other nominees were:
Caitlin Mawhinney (set and costume) for My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored at Leeds Playhouse in co-production with Red Ladder Theatre and Teechers Leavers ’22 at Hull Truck
Liz Whitbread (set and costume) for Favour at the Bush Theatre, London
Best writer
Tyrell Williams for Red Pitch at the Bush Theatre, London
Other nominees were:
Kemi-Bo Jacobs for All White Everything But Me at the Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
Eilidh Loan for Moorcroft at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Best composer, lyricist or book writer
John Patrick Elliott for Cruise at the Duchess Theatre, London
Other nominees were:
Jordan Paul Clarke and Francesca Forristal for Public Domain at Vaudeville Theatre, London
Lauryn Redding for Bloody Elle at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
Best West End debut performer
Jodie Comer for Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Other nominees were:
Lizzie Annis for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
Emilia Clarke for The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Hugh Coles for Back To The Future: The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Emma Corrin for Anna X at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Sutton Foster for Anything Goes at the Barbican
Hannah Jarrett-Scott for Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion Theatre
Ben Joyce for Jersey Boys at Trafalgar Theatre
Best creative West End debut
Julia Cheng (choreographer) for Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre, London
Other nominees were:
Tacita Dean (designer) for The Dante Project at the Royal Opera House
Jack Holden (writer) for Cruise at the Duchess Theatre
Yasmin Joseph (writer) for J’Ouvert at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Isobel McArthur (writer) for Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion
Rebekah Murrell (director) for J’Ouvert at the Harold Pinter Theatre